PSYCHOLOGY, MOTIVATION AND THE SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Psychology, Motivationand the Software Engineer

Amber Hardy

And, what do we want to learn from it?Why this topic?

And, what do we want to learn from it?

Why this topic?

• Software Testing and Quality Assurance • Software Project Planning and Management• Software Requirements • Software Architecture and Design• Intellectual Property and Information Technology• Software Security• Software Generation and Maintenance• Software Metrics and Quality Engineering• Software Acquisition Practices, Legal and Economic Issues• Software Reliability and Safety

John R. Fox: Digital Work in an Analog World: Improving Software Engineering Through Applied Psychology

Profile of (a typical) Software Engineer

• Highly analytical• Logical thinkers• Prideful in their work• Creative• Introverted (most)• Persistent when interested• Aloof to non-technical associates/issues• Somewhat egotistical

Motivation

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

The Candle Problem

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

The Candle Problem

Clips:1:50 – 3:00 (first example…examples candle problem)http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en#t-89277Explain study done with/without rewardsExplain study done with second example with/without rewards6:17 – 7:00 (description/summary…after second example)http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en#t-365589

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

The Candle Problem

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

The Candle Problem

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

The Candle Problem

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

What instead of rewards/punishments

Autonomy: the urge to direct our own lives

Mastery: the desire to get better and better at something that matters

Purpose: the yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Example / Case Study

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Example / Case Study

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Example / Case Study

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Example / Case Study

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Example / Case Study

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

What instead of rewards/punishments

Autonomy: the urge to direct our own lives

Mastery: the desire to get better and better at something that matters

Purpose: the yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves

Toolkit

Autonomy:

the urge to direct our own lives

Toolkit

The urge to direct our own lives.

Autonomy

Autonomy in work:

Autonomy in work:

The urge to direct our own lives.

Autonomy

Autonomy in time\location:

The urge to direct our own lives.

Autonomy

Autonomy in environment:

The urge to direct our own lives.

Autonomy

Autonomy in tools:

The urge to direct our own lives.

Autonomy

Mastery:

the desire to get better and better at something that matters

Toolkit

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

Realistic deadlines:

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

test activity

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

Minimize multi-tasking/distractions:

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

Minimize multi-tasking/distractions:

“Head in the engine”

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

Spread out mundane work:

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

Explore better/new technologies:

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

Continuous learning:conferences

online learning

books

lunch-n-learns

tutorials mentoring try new area

blogs

researching

The desire to get better and better at something that matters.

Mastery

Master skill (“art”):

Purpose:

the yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves

Toolkit

The yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves.

Purpose

Genuinely improving people’s lives:

The yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves.

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Purpose

People will use it:“So, without enough information, changing requirements, not enough knowledge to do the job, and people constantly second guessing us, we trudge into work every day. Being creative people, we put up with all of this because we know that one day people will use our work.”

“When there are delays due to people changing their minds, we get very grumpy. Insanely grumpy. Our goal of getting our work in front of people has been deferred, and that’s demoralizing.”

The yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves.

Purpose

People will enjoy it:

The yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves.

Purpose

Feel proud of work (“art”):

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Example / Case Study

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

What instead of rewards/punishments

Autonomy: the urge to direct our own lives

Mastery: the desire to get better and better at something that matters

Purpose: the yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

What instead of rewards/punishments

http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en#t-1024081

Resources

Dan Pink: The puzzle of motivationhttp://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation?language=en

Dan Pink: Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates ushttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

Nicholas C. Zakas: The care and feeding of software engineers (or, why engineers are grumpy)https://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/12/the-care-and-feeding-of-software-engineers-or-why-engineers-are-grumpy/

Dave Crenshaw: The Myth of Multitasking Testhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCeGKxz3Q8Q

Southern Methodist University major in Software Engineeringhttp://www.smu.edu/Lyle/Departments/CSE/DegreePlans/MS_SE

Atlassian ShipIt Dayshttps://www.atlassian.com/company/about/shipit/

Images

https://prezi.com/sgufox0kriso/psychology-and-software-engineering-facts-and-fallacies/http://gazette.teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/johnpwood/schoolies-cartoon-motivation/http://www.whps.org/cf_enotify/view.cfm?n=15&u=3333&e=580http://bit.ly/175jRRuhttp://www.workflexibility.org/how-companies-can-implement-flexible-work-arrangements/http://www.officesolutionsinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Charlotte-Office-Furniture-Rental-Company.jpghttp://www.besttouchlaptops.com/best-rated-laptops/http://www.techworm.net/2015/02/top-10-free-computer-software-tools.htmlhttp://uthscsa.edu/micro-immunology/mtools.asphttp://www.raindance.org/7-ways-boring-people-can-write-interesting-screenplays/http://www.toprankblog.com/2013/09/creative-seo-copywriting-boring-topics/http://www.rewaste.it/http://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/The%20little%20artist_2024http://www.cancer.org/involved/participate/makingstridesagainstbreastcancer/make-a-pink-ribbon-lapel-pinhttp://pancan.inkminded.com/shop/view_product/Wage_Hope_Pin?n=5341927http://www.usefulspaces.net/2011/09/labour-day-more-than-just-mechanic.htmlhttp://www.computermasteronline.com/tag/computer-technology/

QUESTIONS